Written in the Stars
by Kaiken Kitty
Summary: Kitty and her friends find themselves in the world of Fushigi Yugi, where they meet the Suzaku Seven. Kitty finds herself in danger...and in love...(Please! Review my story!)
1. Default Chapter

Silence. For a moment or two, no one moved. Nothing stirred. I blinked, feeling eyes on me and glanced upwards. I turned my gaze from the book I had just opened to find the teacher glaring at me. I felt the heat rise to my face, and I muttered an apology as the book on my desk was quickly closed and put away.   
  
What a boring day, as always. Stuck in school, writing notes, sitting in overly long classes. Such annoying things. And anyways, I wasn't paying attention, even when I put my book away. Jotting down notes, sure, but really hanging on the teacher's word? Yeah, right.   
  
I glanced towards the clock, catching the time with a slight smirk. As the teacher dismissed us, I stood up, grabbing my stuff to head to lunch. Grasping my book firmly in my hand, I dashed down the stairs to catch up with Kathy.  
  
"Kathy! Check this book out!" I managed to say, trying to catch my breath. Kathy glanced at me with her dark brown, slanted oriental eyes, giving me a questioning look.  
  
"Oh, don't give me that look, Kathy Chow," I smirked as I mispronounced her last name on purpose, and I shoved the book into her hands.  
  
Her eyes gazed over the title and widened a bit. "The Universe of the Four Gods? But isn't this....?"  
  
I grinned, snatching the book back. "Yeah, it is! I found this at the Decatur Library yesterday while searching for Poland books!....stupid Poland project..." I muttered softly. "I tried to read it in History, but I got caught."   
  
"Woa...wait a minute...you actually think this is The Universe of the Four Gods? I mean, from Fushigi Yugi?" Kathy stared at me in disbelief. "I think you've lost it, Caitlin..."  
  
I gave a snort, waving my hand at her, shaking my head. "Don't be silly! Of course this isn't the real thing. Fushigi Yugi is simply an anime, not real. I'm crazy, but not that crazy. It's probably just some book based off the legend or something. You know, copying the Fushigi Yugi series to make some money."   
  
I shrugged lightly, making my way towards the lunch table where Angelina, Laura, and Catherine waited. Sitting down with a yawn, I munched on some chips as I waited for the microwaves to get less crowded.  
  
I set the book aside while I was eating, looking to Angelina and Kathy. "You guys still coming to my anime party tonight? After all, we had fun last time. Maybe we can practice that dance?"  
  
"Of course! What movies should I get my mom to bring?" Angelina replied, I shrugged, looking to Kathy, awaiting her reply.  
  
With an exaggerated sigh, my Korean friend gave a slight grin. "I begged and pleaded and finally my mom said I could go…though now I have to obey my sisters again! I hope it's worth it, Caitlin. Is Laura and Megan going to be there?"  
  
Laura and Catherine glanced up from their lunches to listen to us talk for a moment, then went into their own conversations, not wishing to get involved with this "anime" that we found so interesting.   
  
"Yeah, they're both coming. This should be worth it…and maybe this time we can stay awake all night. That movie last time really put me to sleep!" We all laughed. "Just don't forget to ride the bus with me this afternoon."   
  
"You know," I said, turning towards Laura and Catherine. "You guys are invited to come as well...I just didn't expect you guys to be too interested."   
  
Laura and Catherine gave slight laughs, shaking their heads, both turning down my offer. I gave a shrug. "Just thought I'd ask."  
  
Amazing how time flies. I had just about forgotten about The Universe of the Four Gods that was sitting under my purse when we were dismissed. Angelina, Kathy, and I went our separate ways and with a sigh, I realized we'd have to check it out later.  
  
During the rest of my classes, I could think of nothing but the book under my desk. I wanted to read it so badly...but it'd have to wait. Piled down with homework as always, I stormed upstairs to my locker to pack my backpack. Always in an ill mood after Algebra class, I threw all my books carelessly into my backpack, including The Universe of the Four Gods as well, then threw the heavy load onto my shoulder and ran down the hall to find Kathy and Angelina.  
  
The bus ride went by as usual, despite the two extra riders. Angelina, Kathy, Mary, and I absorbed ourselves in a conversation of bishounen, the guys talked about things I would have preferred not to hear (perverts), and John had succeeded in getting on my very last nerve. The book, lost in my backpack, had been forgotten.  
  
Once we arrived at Saint Ann, we proceeded in grabbing a ride with John's grandmother. It was a quiet ride home, us three girls crowded in the back, unsure of what to say, and John sitting up front, always trying to turn around and talk to me.  
  
I had warned my friends ahead of time about what would happen, but as we climbed out of the car, Angelina and Kathy both looked shaken up. I couldn't really blame them. Almost getting into two car wrecks on a less than ten-minute ride could be rather unnerving. Oh well.  
Grinning, I thanked Miss Lynn for the ride and unlocked the front door, allowing my nervous friends to file inside.  
  
"You can set your stuff down anywhere, but preferably not somewhere where I'll end up tripping over it." I threw my backpack, lunchbox, purse, and P.E. clothes on my bed, glad to get rid of the heavy load, then headed straight to the phone to make a few calls. First, my mom. Quickly telling her I was home and listening to her gripe, I turned up the heater, let the dog out, and grabbed the mail.  
  
Returning inside, I dialed the second number, leaning against my bed as Kathy and Angelina grabbed my mangas and absorbed themselves in reading.  
  
"Hello?" An excited voice answered.  
  
"Laura? Hey, it's me, Kitty. I'm home, so you can go pick up Megan and come over here whenever you'd like."  
  
"Want me to bring my movies again?"  
  
I shrugged to myself, snapping playfully at Kathy not to bend my Fushigi Yugi manga before responding. "Sure."  
  
I could hear Laura laugh over the phone as I spoke to Kathy. "All right. I just gotta get a few things together. Me and Megan will be there in a few! Bye!"  
  
"Okay, see you then. And huggle Bradley for me! Bye!" I hung up, grinning to myself, but turned around to see Angelina and Kathy giving me odd looks.   
  
"Huggle Bradley?" Angelina quirked an eyebrow.  
  
I gave a shrug, scratching the back of my head. "It's an inside joke..."  
  
"Uh huh," was Kathy's response.  
  
"Oh, shut up! And put those mangas away and socialize! Wanna play the N64?" I grinned slightly.  
  
With a little provoking (with my sword, I might add), we had begun to play Super Smash Brothers.  
  
"Die, you little rat, DIE!"  
"Hey! Grr....you are so dead!"  
"ACK!! Watch it!"  
"MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!"  
"No! Pikachu!"  
"Wait! How'd you do that?!"  
"Cheeser!"  
"Nooo! Kirby!"  
"Ha! Take that!"  
"You're going down!"  
"Hey, wait a second! You can't reflect my attacks!"  
"Wanna bet?!"  
"PIKACHU!"  
"Fox is da bomb! Take that, you yellow rat!"  
"You're gonna get it now!"  
"Ack! Stay away!"  
"Come back here, Kirby!"  
"Aaaaaahhhh!!"  
"Heh heh heh."  
  
I paused in mid-action, glancing up as I heard the doorbell ring. I grinned, standing up, and took a look at the TV screen. My character, Fox, was currently beating the crap out of Kirby, Kathy's character.  
  
"Go ahead and quit this game, guys. I think Laura and Meg are here." I left them by them selves to find out the scores as I jogged to the door, throwing it open to reveal Laura and Megan on the other side.  
  
"It's about time you guys got here! We've been sooo bored without you!" I said with a hint of playful anger and heavy sarcasm.  
  
"We would have been here sooner, Kitty, but Megan wouldn't hurry up!" Laura retorted, sticking her tongue out at me. I stepped aside to let them come inside as Megan protested to us blaming her. Herding my friends into my room, I found Kathy and Angelina with their noses in my mangas once again. Growling, I crossed my arms, looking back at Meg and Laura.  
  
"Just set your stuff down somewhere. And help me pry those mangas from their fingers," I motioned towards Kathy and Angelina, "so we can do something socialable!"  
  
By then I had stole Kathy's attention and stood glaring down at her until she got my point and put the Fushigi Yugi manga up. After clearing my throat loudly a few times, Angelina scrambled to do the same. I could hear Megan and Laura holding back laughs.  
  
"So, now our main issue is...what should we do? Too many people to play the N64...hey, you guys hungry?"  
  
"Food's always a good idea," Megan grinned.  
  
"To the kitchen!" I whirled around, pointing dramatically.  
  
When my friends looked at me rather oddly, I sent a threatening glare in their directions.  
  
"Ehh...to the kitchen?" They finally echoed nervously. Smirking, I led the way.  
  
********  
  
Well fed and overly caffienated, we popped in a Magic Knight Rayearth movie and hovered around my TV to watch it. With a sigh, I shoved my things from my bed so I could lie down. As my extremely heavy backpack hit the floor, my books, notebooks, and paper spilled out everywhere.  
  
And in that pile, a particular book caught my eye. Hopping off my bed, I bent down picking up The Universe of the Four Gods. A sudden chill went down my back.  
  
"Hey, pause the movie. And come here. I've been wanting to look at this book all day."  
  
Laura glanced up at me, blinking at my strange tone and expression. "What book?"  
  
Kathy answered her for me. "The Universe of the Four Gods."  
  
Laura's eyes widened. Angelina and Megan both turned around to stare at me as well. "Are you serious?" Angelina said softly, seeming rather awed.  
  
I shook off the chill, rolling my eyes at them. "Don't be so stupid! It's not like it's the real thing. Like I told Mu, it's probably just someone writing something to copy the Fushigi Yugi series to make money. Now, come on. Let's check it out. Maybe it's a newly translated manga?"  
  
Turning off the movie, all my friends crowded around me as I took a seat on the floor, setting The Universe of the Four Gods in front of me.   
  
"I can't believe you haven't looked at this yet," Megan said, sounding shocked.  
  
I shrugged, muttering. "No time."  
  
"Well, come on then! Open it!" Angelina said excitedly. "I wanna see this!"  
  
How could I explain to my friends that simply being near this book sent a strange, almost unnatural, cold through my body? Something didn't seem quite right. But slowly, with my friends' encouragement, I opened the book.  
  
Before a word could be read, the ground began to shake violently. Yelping in surprise I struggled to hold onto something, anything. I could hear my friends scrambling to do the same, though I could not see them: I was more distracted by my shelves, books, computer, and TV falling.  
  
"What?! An earthquake in Alabama?!" Megan's panicked voice rang out over all the crashing. It seemed panic had grabbed us all.  
  
"Kitty! What the hell are we gonna do?!"  
  
"I...I don't know! Try and calm down!" My mind whirled madly, trying to decide how I should handle this.  
  
"CALM DOWN?!!! TO HELL WITH THAT IDEA!!!"  
  
Growling to myself, I grabbed ahold of my friends, one by one, and forced them to the ground. "Close your eyes and cover your head!" Earthquakes never lasted long...did they? My friends did as I commanded without a question.  
  
With my friends' eyes closed, I was the only one to see the brilliant beam of white light coming from the open pages of The Universe of the Four Gods.   
  
Then everything went dark. 


	2. Chapter 2

I awoke to the sounds of voices. Groaning, I slowly opened my blue eyes, squinting in the dim light. "Uggh...what the hell happened?" I moaned as I started to sit up, blinking a few times as my eyes struggled to adjust.  
  
"Caitlin! You're awake!" I heard a relieved voice ring out through the darkness as shadows approached me in hurried shuffles. "You alright?" I turned towards the voice and Kathy's face came into view. As I turned my eyes to gaze hard at the other shadows, Laura and Angelina's features appeared through the darkness.  
  
"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine. Take away the pounding headache and sudden blindness, I'm peachy keen." My voice dripped with heavy sarcasm.  
  
"Well, the darkness isn't just you, Kitty," Angelina responded. At least that was good. "We're in some sort of prison."  
  
I rubbed my eyes, muttering curses under my breath as I climbed, with some trouble, to my feet. "No kidding? In a prison? Well, how'd we end up here?" My eyes searched the darkness uselessly.  
  
My friends frowned and after a while, Laura finally spoke up. "Well...everyone else weren't awake. But I know what happened...Soldiers...or at least the men were dressed like soldiers....only in stranger outfits. They came and dragged us through a huge building--some sort of palace, I'm guessing--and threw us in here. They called us demons...spawn from hell and such. I was still dizzy when they came, so I didn't quite catch everything. But Kitty...." Laura paused, sounding worried. "I...I don't think we're in Decatur anymore."  
  
No shit, Dorthy, I was tempted to say, but kept my mouth shut. There was no need to be snappy, though I had assumed we were no longer in Decatur a while before. My eyes shifted around the small cell when realization hit me. My eyes widened and I whirled back around to face Laura, Mu, and Li. "Where's Megan?!!"  
  
"When we woke up, she wasn't here," Kathy frowned. "No one knows where she is. There isn't a trace of her anywhere."  
  
I opened my mouth to say something else when the sound of a door slamming echoed in the darkness. Listening to the approaching footsteps, we grew quiet, frozen in fear, hardly even breathing. Suddenly a blinding light appeared through the bars, shining hard upon our darkness-adjusted eyes. Crying out in pain, my hands shot up to my face, trying to block out the light. I dropped to my knees as I heard my friends scream as well--they were apparently in more pain due to being awake longer--and felt their bodies drop to the ground, silent. My hands slowly moved away slowly as I squinted into the painful light, feeling weaker and weaker. There, in the midst of the white, a face...an angelic, beautiful face...the face of a man...of an angel...gazed down at me with soft brown-gold eyes. Slowly my eyes closed once again, drifting into the darkness once again.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
I dreamed of Gundams. Gundam Wing...but why? I had not seen the show for a while. There was no real reason to remember it so clearly. In my dream, a battle was taking place. I was part of it, within a mobile suit of my own. A Scorpio. A new suit, one never used by anyone in the Gundam series. A Scorpio had never even been mentioned in Gundam Wing. Yet, there I was, piloting one...and piloting it with incredible skill.  
  
I watched the battle fall out before me. Everything seemed so real...too real. The details, the explosions, everything. I heard voices call out to me over the intercom. Familiar voices. The Gundam pilots...I could hear their voices clearly as they fought. But Quatre's voice reached me the most easily. Another voice, not a Gundam pilot, but a female...and someone I knew very well. The voice of Mary...only there was a strange, distant quality to her tone as she screamed to me. Warning me. But of what? An incoming danger?  
  
The fight continued on, faster than I could see. The movements suddenly sped up, a blur of action playing out before me. Somehow, I sensed movement to my right and began to turn. But no! My movements were too slow, too sluggish for this raging battle! A beam of bright light...white energy, coming at me. A scream echoed over the radio as my Scorpio and I were engulfed in the beam.  
  
Then silence. Utter silence. 


	3. Chapter 3

"What the hell happened to her?!" A voice rang in my ears. A disturbingly loud voice.  
  
"Tasuki, for the tenth time, the pain knocked her out, no da. You see, shifting your eyes from darkness to light too suddenly causes---"  
  
I stopped listening as the deep, male voice rattled on, explaining to the loud-voiced 'Tasuki' what happened to me. It sounded like a school lecture...yet the voice seemed familiar.  
  
A sudden wave of pain overcame me and I gasped loudly, cringing. A hush fell over the room as I felt eyes land on me. Still, I felt too weak to even attempt to open my eyes, though my hearing had returned completely. Indeed, I could hear everything quite clearly, which was fine by me. I wanted to listen for a while, to see what I could learn. Perhaps they would give out more information if they thought me to be asleep.  
  
"Is she awake? I think she's awake! Poke her!" Tasuki's voice rattled out over the silence as I heard shuffled movements towards me...followed by the distinctive sound of someone being hit over the head, at which a painful "OW!!" sounded.  
  
"You're majesty, what are you thinking? Are you alright? You haven't said anything for a while, no da." 'No Da' sounded concerned as Tasuki muttered to himself under his breath.  
  
"Miaka said this girl and her friends came from her world, but from a different place, called America." The man...royalty of some sort?...spoke quietly, sounding out 'America' carefully. How beautiful his voice was! Smooth, caring, so soft! My heart skipped a beat...later I would regret not listening to his words rather than the angelic sound of his voice.  
  
"This girl might be important to Suzaku, Chichiri...or perhaps one of the other gods."  
  
This was confusing. Why did everything sound so familiar? The names...the voices...even their conversation. But how? Where was this? How did I understand the meaning behind their words? Was I going mad?  
  
A sudden urge hit me. I had to look around, to see what was going on! To see where I was. I groaned loudly, announcing my awakening, and stirred, the voices hushing once again as I slowly opened my eyes.  
The image was blurry at first, but slowly my eyes managed to focus.   
  
Three men looked down at me. To my right, red caught my eyes. The man wore strange, ancient Chinese clothing, but his eyes and hair were red (his eyes were actually a reddish brown), odd for someone who seemed Asian. His features were pulled into a smirk...or perhaps it was more of a grin...revealing two sharp fangs. A name entered my mind immediately: Tasuki.  
  
To my left was an even odder looking man. His hair was a blue-grey color and the front was in a strange mohawk, the back pulled into a pony tail. He wore the clothes of a Chinese monk and his eyes were steel, a lovely shade of grey. Over one eye, however, was an evil looking scar. Chichiri.  
  
But the third man caught my undivided attention. His face gazed down upon me--the face of my angel. His long, silky hair fell over his shoulders, the most amazing shade of brown. His bangs fell across his eyes perfectly. His eyes--brown with golden tints. The eyes of an angel, filled with a loving kindness. From the corner of my mind I knew that he too wore ancient Chinese clothing, but the colors were more extravagant, the color of royalty. But his wonderful eyes had caught and held mine.. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to catch my breath.  
  
"Are you all right?" My Angel spoke to me, his rich voice filled with deep worry. I struggled to sit up and felt Chichiri give me a hand, supporting my back a bit.  
  
"I'm...fine." Somehow I found my voice, shaky as it was. My eyes swept across the area. I seemed to be in some sort of room on a richly designed bed. Bright sunlight streamed through the windows, casting playful shadows in the corners. I turned back towards the men, a sudden thought entering my mind. Did they--? No! Impossible! Something--I'm not quite sure what--assured me that these men would not do such a thing.   
  
"Heh heh! Guess yer right, Chichiri, buddy! She sure as hell ain't dead!" Tasuki laughed, crossing his arms in a cocky manner. "But that's good, neh? She's too cute to die!" He flashed me a grin, showing off gleaming fangs.  
  
I blinked, looking to Tasuki, making a mental note to kill the fiery haired man for his comments. He sure was blunt. Probably one of those people who always spoke their mind, whether or not it was appreciated.   
I jumped suddenly in panic and made an attempt to get out of bed, being struck with a sudden thought. "Where are my friends?! What did you do with them?!"  
  
My Angel frowned deeply, setting a gentle hand on my shoulder, forcing me to sit back down. "They are fine. Please, calm down. We have placed them in recovery rooms, thought none seemed wounded greatly." He paused, smiling at me, his features expressing kindness. "Tell me, what is your name?"  
  
I instantly froze at my Angel's touch, gazing up at him with wide blue eyes. His voice spoke no lies--somehow, I could tell. Shivering slightly, from the breeze that hit me or from the cold--I'm not sure, I nodded, taking a deep breath, calming myself down. "My...name? It's...Caitlin."  
  
"That is a hell of a strange name!" Tasuki snorted. Like he was one to talk. My Angel smiled warmly at me.  
  
"I am Hotohori."  
  
"I am Chichiri, no da!" The once serious man seemed to be becoming more and more cheerful. "And that loudmouth over there is Tasuki."  
  
I nodded slightly. I had guessed their names right after all. Strange. "So, where exactly am I? How'd I get here?"  
  
"You are currently at Konan, in the Emperor's palace, no da!" Chichiri grinned.  
  
"Some of my soldiers brought you here. They saw you fall from the sky in a strange white light. Truthfully, we were going to ask you the same thing." Hotohori answered softly, sounding a bit confused.  
  
I frowned deeply as my mind shifted back to hours before, remembering the earthquake. And...the book! The Universe of the Four Gods. The earthquake began when we opened the book...and the light I saw! What was going on?  
  
I gasped lightly from my own acknowledgement that something strange was happening and leapt to my feet once again. Hotohori, Tasuki, and Chichiri all looked at me with worried expressions.  
  
"Where are my friends? Show me where they are. I must speak with them!" Hotohori stood up as well, his hand moving back to my shoulder.  
  
"I'll go see if they're awake, no da." Chichiri smiled and gave a nod to Hotohori before turning and leaving.   
  
"Man, she's crazy. Cute, but loony." I heard Tasuki mutter to himself. I narrowed my eyes, reminding myself to give him what he deserved...sometime when Hotohori wasn't around. Tasuki noted my glare and waved his hands defensively. "Hey, now, I was just kiddin,' no need to get mean!"  
  
My eyes shifted up to my Angel, ignoring Tasuki--for now. "Did all my friends seem alright? You said they were fine...but Megan wasn't with us in the cell..." I took another look around the room, then at myself, noticing I was still in my school uniform. My hand went to my head and I cringed, feeling a bandage there. That explained the headache.  
  
"Yes, they were all perfectly well. However, the one with the same color hair as you got hurt when she fell from the sky. That is why she was not in the prison with you. A few scratches and perhaps a broken wrist, but she'll be perfectly fine. The healers are helping her right now, so, no need to worry."  
  
"And, oh yes. I must apologize for your treatment before. I was not present when the guards brought you in. If I had been, I would have made sure to have treated you as a guest, not a prisoner." I smiled and shrugged. What a gentleman Hotohori was!   
  
"It is forgiven and forgotten." I smiled to myself, content with knowing that everyone was okay. Content in being near my Angel. Simply content. At least until a scream interrupted the mood, echoing through the halls.  
  
"What the--?" Tasuki growled, moving to the door to see what was going on. And he was quickly trampled to the ground as a man--or was it a woman?--barged through the doorway, running right over the fiery haired man, his pink-gold eyes wide.  
  
"AH!! Hey, Nuriko, that hurt!!" Tasuki yelled at the newcomer as he slowly got back to his feet, his body bruised and dirty. And he was knocked right back down by Angelina, who trampled right over him, pausing to look around the room as she attempted to catch her breath. She smiled cheerfully--too cheerfully--at Nuriko as Tasuki let loose a line of violent curses.  
  
"Li!!" I grinned happily as I crossed the room to her. Angelina turned to face me, blinking for a moment or two, then smiled brightly.  
"Kitty! Thank the gods you're alright!" An awkward pause...to hug or no? We decided no. We didn't have the hugging type of friendship, not really. We both thought girls who hugged each other looked rather gay. So I chose to poke her instead.  
  
"Ack!!" Li jumped and I laughed. Tasuki had now struggled back to his feet. He was covered in footprints, one right on his face, and looked rather pissed. He turned his red eyes in a glare at Nuriko, who was now stranding beside Hotohori. "What the hell were you runnin' from, Nuriko?!"  
  
"I was running from her!" Nuriko pointed towards Li. I blinked, giving my friend an odd look. Angelina shrugged, grinning innocently, then looked towards Nuriko and winked. The man seemed to slink back, turning his eyes towards me. "Is that girl crazy too?"  
  
"Hell yeah!" Tasuki blurted out. I shot him a glare that could kill. It was his turn to slink away.  
  
"No, Nuriko, Caitlin is not insane," Hotohori answered, smiling at me. At least Hotohori was defending me. A voice spoke out from the doorway, distracting me.  
  
"Here's your friend, no da!" All eyes turned towards the door as Kathy, Laura, and Chichiri stepped in. Laura was hanging onto Chichiri's arms, looking up at him lovingly. Mu gave a rather sheepish look, scratching the back of her head.  
  
"Mu!! Laura!" Both Li and I called out their names as we ran over to them. In sync Li and I proceeded to poke our Korean friend in the sides. We received a familiar squeak. I laughed brightly, glad to see my friends.  
  
"It's good to see you two! How are you doing?"  
  
"Okay, I suppose..." Kathy shrugged.  
  
"Ah...can someone help me out here, no da?" I glanced to Chichiri, who was currently being hugged a little too tightly by Laura. I couldn't help but notice the slight annoyance in Mu's eyes and the Korean proceeded to whack Laura over the head with a clenched fist.  
Mu? Being violent? That sure was strange. Laura jerked away, rubbing her head with a whine. Chichiri looked relieved as he moved away from the complaining girl, smiling to Kathy. "Thanks, no da."  
  
I could have sworn Mu blushed.  
  
"So, we're are here?" Angelina asked, glancing around.  
  
"All except Megan. Hotohori told me she may have broke her wrist..." I noted that Li's eyes kept moving towards Nuriko. What was going on? Laura was obviously smitten with Chichiri...but Kathy and Angelina as well? I sighed as I scratched my head, turning to gaze up at Hotohori.  
"Hotohori? May we go see our friend? We need to make sure she isn't freaking out or something." And we need to talk, I thought to myself. Hotohori smiled warmly, his beautiful eyes reflecting only kindness.  
"Of course. Tasuki will show you the way."  
  
Tasuki blinked as our eyes fell on him. "Wha...What?! No way!! No frickin' way! I am absolutely NOT gonna direct four crazy girls to their fifth crazy friend. Just what we need, a group of insane bitches hangin' around!!" He shook his head wildly, protesting loudly...until he met Hotohori's steady gaze.  
  
"I would take them myself, Tasuki, but I am quite busy. My people will surly be wondering about these girls by now. I must reassure them that everything is perfectly fine. I would appreciate your help, Tasuki." Hotohori's voice was kind...yet firm, leaving no room for arguing. It seemed that Hotohori was well respected to and usually obeyed. Tasuki got the message and, still grumbling, motioned for us to follow him.  
We were led out of the room and through various halls, Tasuki's muttering never ceasing. We hung back a bit as we followed.  
  
"Chichiri is such a babe!" Laura swooned and Kathy growled.  
  
"Not as hot as Nuriko, ya know?" Li boasted. I rubbed my head, tempted to bring up my Angel and argue with them, like we would usually do. Pushing away my negative thoughts, I opened my mouth to do just that, when Tasuki stopped suddenly--causing me to run smack into him.  
"Watch it, girl!" Tasuki snapped, glaring down at me. I growled in return.  
  
"You watch it!" I snapped back. For a moment we glared at each other, until finally he moved his eyes away, cursing as he opened the door.  
"You bud is in here. Now get...and don't come out 'til we come a getcha, got it?"  
  
I shoved past him, leading the way into the room. My friends grinned, holding back laughs as they followed. The door swung shut behind us as I gazed around the room.  
  
"Kitty!" My eyes went towards the voice, widening at the sight of Megan. She had a bandage around her wrist, but seemed perfectly fine besides that. She leapt to her feet and ran over to us. After a brief reunion, all five of us sat down on the small bed to talk.  
  
"What exactly happened?" Meg wondered out loud.  
  
"Yeah! How'd we get here?--Not that I'm complaining, mind you!" Laura grinned, as Kathy sent a glare her way.  
  
Angelina sighed, turning towards me, looking a bit worried. "The earthquake...maybe we're all dreaming or something? Bumped our heads...maybe?"  
  
I shook my head slowly. "Doubtfully. For one, I don't think we can all have the same dream. Plus this place seems pretty real to me." I paused for a moment, thinking. "There was that book...and that white light..." All eyes turned towards me.  
  
"What?" Kathy frowned, looking a bit uneasy. "What do you mean? What white light?! Kitty, what did you see?!"  
  
I gazed at all my friends, wondering what to tell them. How could I explain this? "Well...think about it. The book...when we opened it, the earthquake started..."  
  
"So? That doesn't mean anything!" Megan quirked an eyebrow, giving me an odd look. Strange, her being so serious. I continued.  
  
"I'm not through explaining!! Shut up and listen!" Making sure their attentions were fully on me, I spoke once again. "You see...after I pushed you guys to the ground, I saw this light...a light coming from The Universe of the Four Gods..."  
  
"Are you saying we're inside the book?" I couldn't help but note the tone of disbelief in Angelina's voice. I nodded.  
  
"Unless you have some other way to explain it...?" Only silence and my friends' stares answered my questions. "Just think about it. Nuriko. Tasuki. Hotohori..."   
  
"And Chichiri! Don't forget Chichiri!!" Laura piped up. I rolled my eyes and nodded, but couldn't help but grin as a vein popped out of Kathy's forehead as she struggled not to hit Laura.  
  
"And Chichiri...they're all in Fushigi Yugi! So...we must be inside the book. It all adds up. Which brings up the question...How do we return home?" I asked softly. A silence fell across the room as my head lowered in thought.  
  
The silence was broken, as it had been before, by that loudmouth Tasuki.  
  
"Hey!! Come on! We need ta talk to ya!" We all looked up as the door flew open and light streamed in. Tasuki was standing in the middle of the doorway, looking impatient, his arms folded, giving up an annoyed look.  
  
I narrowed my eyes as I stood up, leading the way towards the door. Had he been listening to our conversation? No...he was too calm. He couldn't have been. After pushing past Tasuki (a little too roughly, for he stumbled from the doorway and almost fell on his ass), I took the time to finally gaze around. How beautiful! Who ever this emperor was, he must be rolling in cash! My azure gaze fell upon Nuriko, Chichiri, and two others: a tall man and a very short girl with an odd pony tail that stuck straight up in the air. All four of them were talking among themselves.  
  
My friends joined me and I began to open my mouth to speak when I was pushed aside by Tasuki. "Hey!!" The red haired man chuckled at my cry of protest as I growled. Tasuki joined Nuriko and the others, then turned towards me. For a moment neither my group nor his said anything.  
Until the little girl bounded up towards us, smiling a little too cheerfully. "Hello! My name is Chiriko! And that's Mitsukake over there!"   
  
Kathy kneeled down, having a soft spot for children, and smiled warmly. "It's nice to meet you, Chiriko. But what's a sweet girl like you hanging around here for? Are you the emperor's daughter?"  
  
Tasuki burst into laughter, as Chichiri sweatdropped and Nuriko held back a chuckle. Mitsukake remained silent and motionless. Chiriko looked confused and embarrassed. "Umm...Miss? I'm a boy..."  
  
Mu blinked then blushed, struggling to apologize to the child. Tasuki began to laugh harder and I soon joined in with him. We both quickly stopped when we realized that could be considered getting along. Exchanging glares with him, I decided it was time to get him back for all those comments he made.  
  
Smiling sweetly, I turned towards Chichiri. "Hey, Chichiri? Where's Hotohori?" At Chichiri's name, Laura began to drool, hearts appearing in her eyes. Mu growled, holding the girl back, preventing her from attacking Chichiri with hugs that could kill. The steel eyed man backed away, looking sheepish as he answered my question.  
  
"Hotohori? His majesty is currently dealing with royal matters. Why?"  
I blinked. And blinked again. "Wha...what?! Hotohori? Are you saying he's...he's the Emperor?!"  
  
"Well, duh!! What, you didn't know that?! Come on, what sort of idiot wouldn't know that!" Tasuki grinned. I could feel my anger growing.  
"Uh oh. He's done it now..." Angelina looked worried.  
  
"He shouldn't have pushed it...." Megan nodded.  
  
"Well, this should be interesting...." Kathy laughed nervously.  
  
"Almost feel sorry for him..." Laura chuckled.  
  
"The hell? Oh, come on! Her? Hurt me?! Hah! Don't make me laugh! She's a friggin' girl, she couldn't hurt a fly!"  
  
That's when I lost it. Hotohori wasn't nearby...and Tasuki needed to be taught a lesson. Growling, I approached him slowly, a dangerous look in my eyes. Tasuki's eyes widened and he began to back away rather quickly, then turned... and ran. I followed quickly, running after the screaming man.   
  
"Aahhh!! Get away from me, you crazy chick!! I didn't do nothin'!!!" Tasuki's yell could be heard all through the halls as I chased him.  
"Get back here!! Don't be such a coward, idiot!! I won't hurt you...that badly!!" As we ran past the others, I grinned. Nuriko reached out to grab Tasuki and I believed I had the fiery haired man right where I wanted him--until I felt myself being pulled backwards.   
  
"The hell?!"  
  
"Kitty, that's enough! Come on, you've tortured poor Tasuki long enough." I turned to look back at what was holding me, seeing my friends there. Growling, I shot a glare at Tasuki, struggling to break free, ignoring Kathy's comment.  
  
"Fine!" After a few more minutes of struggling, I gave a sigh, finally giving up. "Let go of me already! I won't kill him...." As my friends grips loosened, I folded my arms. "....yet."  
  
Nuriko shook his head, looking rather disappointed at the fact Tasuki (who was currently hiding behind Mitsukake's tall form) didn't get the hell beaten out of him. Chiriko was scratching the back of his head, looking a bit frightened, and Mitsukake had not moved. Sighing, I rubbed my head, fighting down my temper.  
  
"Ah! Let go, no da!" I turned towards Chichiri's cry for help, blinking as I saw Laura had left my side and had latched tightly around Chichiri's middle.   
  
"Laura! Let him go!" Kathy ran over to them and tried to pull Laura off of Chichiri. Tasuki, finally coming back into view, began to laugh at the scene and I had to hold back my own chuckle.  
  
"Ah! Leave me alone, Mu! He's mine! I saw him first!" Laura and Kathy exchanged glares.  
  
"....Um....I...can't....breath...no da!" Glancing towards Chichiri I realized he did look a bit blue in the face. It matched nicely with his hair.  
  
"Let him go, Laura! You're gonna kill him!!" Mu proceeded to beat Laura over the head with a clenched fist, a vein popping out her forehead.  
  
"Hey! Ouch!! That hurts!! Mu, stop it!!"   
  
"Then let go of him!!"  
  
"Never! He's mine!"  
  
"No daaaaa!! Someone, help!"  
  
"Okay, okay! Enough guys!" I walked over to the three, grabbed Chichiri and tore him from Laura's killing grasp. Mu smirked and the two girls glared at each other while Chichiri struggled to catch his breath.  
  
"Umm...Kitty? Who's he?" I turned, gazing towards Megan. She had hearts in her eyes...and was staring directly at Nuriko.   
  
"Don't even consider it, Megan!!" Angelina snarled, stepping towards Meg with a threatening glare. I sighed. Were all my friends going to be constantly fighting?   
  
"Oh my god!!" A shrill, unfamiliar voice rang out through all the commotion. Everyone turned in sync to watch as a young girl, probably around my age, came running towards us. Her hair was a brownish red and tied up in two buns on her head, her eyes hazel, a mixture of green and brown. She wore a uniform as well, but it was in the Japanese style, making me rather jealous. I had always wanted a cooler uniform than what we had available. I blinked as she ran up to us, bouncing around, clapping her hands happily.  
  
"Oh my god! I can't believe you're here!! Americans!! Wow!! How'd you get here?! This is so exciting! Did you bring any food?!"   
  
I blinked. Kami, this girl spoke too much. Still, this wasn't the end of her blabbing.  
  
"I'm sorry! I didn't introduce myself! I'm Miaka, the priestess of Suzaku!" Like that told me anything. She seemed like a total ditz. Her rambling continued. "This is so amazing! Did you meet everyone?! Blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda..." I stopped listening, rubbing my head, muttering to myself.  
  
"Americans, neh? Well, I'll tell ya Miaka, these girls are insane! Especially that one!" Tasuki smirked, pointing at me. I growled and he took a step back. Miaka bounced over to me, holding out her hand.  
"Hey! Don't worry about Tasuki, he just has to get used to you is all. What's you name?" She smiled brightly as I considered. Slowly, I took her hand, giving it a shake.   
  
"I'm Caitlin...nice to meet you."  
  
"Yeah, it is, isn't it?!" She shook my hand a few times too many and I frowned, pulling my palm away from hers. This girl worried me--she was way too happy. As my friends introduced themselves, I frowned thoughtfully. Something was bothering me...  
  
"So, since when can Americans speak Japanese?" The cheerful girl smiled brightly, giving a questioning look.  
  
"What? Hey, we're not speaking Japanese, you're speaking English!" Laura responded, blinking.  
  
"English? Oh, I wish! But I don't know how to speak English..."  
  
"Yer both crazy!! Yer speakin' Chinese!" Tasuki argued.  
  
"Ah, that's what I've been hearing, no da."  
  
"Well, if Chichiri says we're speaking Chinese, then we are!" Laura nodded.  
  
"No, we're not! I'm speaking English! So is everyone else!" Megan snorted.  
  
"...umm...Miaka? Are you telling me you've never wondered why you could understand everyone, even though this is China...and you're Japanese?" I quirked an eyebrow. Was this girl that dense?  
  
Miaka blinked, tilting her head slightly, then began to laugh. "Nope, I guess not!" Everyone sweatdropped and almost fell. I scratched the back of my head. Perhaps this girl was a lot more blonde than she appeared. Hair dye. Yeah--that made sense.  
  
"English!"  
  
"Japanese!"  
  
"Chinese, damnit!"  
  
"Miaka?" The soft voice of my Angel drifted against the wind, reaching my ears. I turned to see him standing there, his eyes directed at Miaka, a warm smile upon his features.  
  
"Oh! Hotohori! It's good to see you!" Miaka smiled brightly, bounding past us over to the emperor. She gazed up at him happily and as he smiled back at the girl, I felt my heart drop.  
  
Of course such a man wouldn't be alone. How stupid I was to even think I had a chance! Hotohori was already in love. I could see it in his eyes. What had I been thinking? I didn't even know him...and he knew nothing about me. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I closed my eyes, watching Miaka and Hotohori talk. From the back of my mind I knew my friends were still arguing over what language we were all speaking. It didn't matter. I felt crushed...which, my logical side argued, made no sense whatsoever.  
  
"Hotohori? I've been...wanting to talk to you about something..." Miaka cheerful voice had faded. I blinked as Hotohori nodded and the two began to walk away. Glancing briefly over my shoulder, finding everyone occupied, I quietly followed.  
  
They stopped in the middle of an empty hall as I ducked behind the corner to listen. I knew I shouldn't be spying...but...  
  
"I...umm...Well..." Miaka's voice reached me first.  
  
"You needn't worry. This is about our previous conversation, correct?" Hotohori's voice was so kind...yet I could feel a deepening sadness within it. "Consider it settled. I apologize for putting you in such a difficult situation. I'm under pressure from my ministers to find an empress. They're worried about the lack of an heir." A soft laugh was heard. "Before I knew what I was doing, I forced the subject---"  
"...orry."  
  
I frowned, peering around the corner so I could watch. Miaka was crying, tears running down her face.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! I really like you, Hotohori.   
  
You're so kind, and you treat me so well. I thought I might be able to love you." Miaka lowered her head, sobbing. "But I can't. I really like you....but it's not love. So...I..."  
  
"Miaka. It can't be helped. You told me once that a person can't control anyone else's feelings." The emperor stepped closer to Miaka, his voice soft as he gripped her shoulders gently. "That was the first thing you taught me, the leader of my country."  
  
Miaka's soft sobs could still be heard. "But...you've done so much for me, and I haven't done a thing in return."  
  
"You've found the Celestial Warriors. You are granting my wish to save my country."  
  
"But..."  
  
"....." For a moment, nothing was heard. Complete silence. Then it was broken but Hotohori's pain-filled voice. "Then grant me this much...for a pathetic fool in love with you..." In one swift movement Hotohori had released his grip on Miaka's shoulders and engulfed her in a tight embrace. My eyes widened as I ducked back behind the corner, closing my eyes tightly.  
  
"Miaka! I love you! I love you!"  
  
Silence.  
  
Then... "I beg your forgiveness. Please...we have these new visitors to speak with...perhaps you should go find out what you can?"  
  
"Okay....I'll see you soon." I ducked into an opened doorway as Miaka jogged back my way. As she passed me, I felt my hatred growing. How dare that bitch hurt Hotohori? He loved her--why didn't she accept his love? I closed my eyes tightly. My poor Angel. No...he wasn't my Angel. He didn't love me. He didn't even know me. Emperor Hotohori...I stepped from the dark room, gazing around the corner to find Hotohori gone. Sighing heavily, I turned, heading back the way I had come, towards the arguing voices of my friends. 


	4. Chapter 4

"Kitty! There you are! We were beginning to get worried!" I turned towards Kathy's voice, struggling to smile, scratching the back of my head.   
  
"Well, you know me. Always wandering off...exploring..." My voice trailed off and I lowered by eyes a bit, my forced smile dropping.  
  
"So, which girl is that one?" A male voice made me look up once again. A young man, looking to be 16, was walking towards me, Miaka attached tightly to his arm. I quirked an eyebrow. Was this boy the reason Miaka refused Hotohori's love? He wasn't even that hot!  
  
"Oh, this is Caitlin!" Miaka smiled brightly, gazing at me. "Did I pronounce your name right?"  
  
I gave a slight nod. "Good enough." My eyes shifted to gaze around the area. The group had moved and everyone was now standing in the bright sunlight in the middle of a small courtyard. Megan and Tasuki were still fighting over whether everyone was speaking Chinese or English, Chichiri was struggling to get Laura to release her grip on him, and in the corner Hotohori stood, leaning against a tree. The emperor's head was lowered, his perfect hair falling over his face, hiding his features from view. Was he crying? Miaka had just broke his heart...I would be sobbing. Hotohori...he seemed so alone...  
  
I was pulled from my sorrowful thoughts by movement in front of me. I turned to see that the boy had extended his hand to me, raising an eyebrow. "I'm Tamahome."  
  
I slowly put my hand out, taking his, firmly shaking it. "Hmm..." My hand drew away quickly as I folded my arms over my chest.  
  
"He's my boyfriend!" Miaka squealed, hugging Tamahome tightly. My eyes went unwillingly to Hotohori, looking for any reaction. I received nothing, but I knew the emperor had heard the loud-mouth girl.  
  
"That's....nice..."   
  
"Oh, hey! What's with you, Kitty?" I felt Tasuki slap me on the back with a grin as he called me by my nickname. "Yer not actin' normal, ya know?"  
  
I looked to Tasuki, frowning deeply. His expression fell, his grin fading as he looked back at me. Something flickered in his eyes...concern? No...impossible. Tasuki didn't like me. I slowly shook my head, trying to grin.  
  
"Oh...go away, Tasuki." I shoved him away from me, grinning forcefully. He stumbled slightly, but my push was not rough at all. He looked at me with an odd expression, his eyes still serious, but I turned away to look at my friends. Kathy, Megan, Angelina, and Laura were all staring at me, confused by my attitude. It was very unlike me, after all.  
  
I flashed a cheerful smile. "Stop staring, already! What are we going to do now?"  
  
"We were all going to head into town, no da." I glanced to Chichiri.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Oh, come on, Kitty! This'll be fun!" I found myself being dragged by all four of my friends as the group turned and walked from the courtyard and through the palace, led by Chichiri. Hotohori, I noticed, did not follow. Instead, the beautiful emperor turned and walked deeper into the palace. His depression? Or maybe his duties called.   
  
Tasuki walked behind me as I was dragged, laughing at my misfortune, while Miaka and Tamahome (they might as well have been attached) followed Chichiri closely, Miaka's giggle drifting back to me, getting on my nerves. Nuriko, Chiriko, and Mitsukake followed behind us all, the cross-dresser and child talking among themselves. Mitsukake remained silent, his features unreadable.  
  
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!! Unlucky, Kitty?" I scowled up at Tasuki's laughter.  
  
"Oh, shut up..." I struggled away from my friends and stood up, brushing myself off. The others left me, Li dropping back to attach herself to Nuriko, Laura and Kathy rushing forward to start arguing over Chichiri, and Megan...well, it looked as though she found another target besides Nuriko. She ran forward to walk next to Tamahome, smiling dazedly up at him, while Miaka sent glares her way (which my friend failed to notice, much to my humor).   
  
I found myself walking beside Tasuki, who had finally stopped laughing and was looking at me intently. I sighed, glancing up at him with serious eyes. "What is it? Stop staring..."  
  
"Yer not actin' right, Kit. Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes! Yes!! I'm fine!" I growled loudly and attempted to pick up speed to catch up with Kathy and Laura...but was stopped as someone grabbed my shirt and jerked me back.  
  
"The hell?!! What's the big ide--!!" A hand clamped over my mouth, cutting off my sentence as Tasuki threw me against a tree, forcing me to look up at him.  
  
"Listen to me, Caitlin. What the hell is wrong?"  
  
I struggled against him, forcing his hand away from my mouth. "I told you!! Nothing's wrong, damn it!!"  
  
"Don't give me that shit! It's obvious something's bothering you!" Tasuki glared at me with his red eyes and his tone softened. "Kit...before ya left the group, ya were fine. When ya returned ya were acting like this. Yer friends have noticed yer behavior as well. What did ya see when ya left?"  
  
My eyes went unwillingly to the fading form of Miaka. Tasuki peered behind his shoulder, following my eyes and blinked. "Kitty...did somethin' happ'n between ya and Miaka? That makes hardly no sense...she doesn't seem mad at ya..."  
  
I pushed Tasuki away from me, lowering my head as I leaned against the tree. A part of my mind wondered why no one had noticed our disappearance, but the thought was set aside. I closed my eyes, refusing to look at Tasuki. "Why are you so concerned about me all of a sudden?"  
  
Tasuki frowned deeply. "Doesn't matter. What's up between ya and Miaka?" I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and glancing up, I found Tasuki smiling down at me. "Tell me what happened. I'll try and help ya."  
  
"There's nothing you can do..."  
  
"Try me."  
  
I sighed heavily and shrugged. What could it hurt? "I saw Miaka break Hotohori's heart..."  
  
"Huh? Whatcha mean? We all know Tama-boy is the guy fer Miaka. Did she finally lay the emperor off? Poor guy...how'd he take it? Well, dun worry 'bout the emperor. He's tough, he'll move on!"  
  
I gazed up at Tasuki in silence and his voice faded away. "Is that not the problem? Yo, Kit, come on...out with it."  
  
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes. "IthinkI'minlovewithHotohori!"  
  
Silence. A soft breeze blew, but nothing more was heard. Daring to open my eyes, I turned my azure orbs up at Tasuki to find him gazing down at me with an indescribable emotion upon his features.  
  
"Yer....in love with Hotohori?"  
  
I slowly nodded. Why was he acting so strange?  
  
"Does he know?"  
  
Shaking my head, I found my voice, speaking softly. "No, he doesn't...I doubt he even knows I'm alive. Tasuki..."  
  
A grin slowly drew out across Tasuki's face. "Listen, Kit! His highness is a busy guy...and he's madly in love with Miaka, ya know? Poor guy, he'll be broken hearted. But, listen. Don't worry. I'll help ya out, 'kay?"  
  
My eyes widened as I grabbed Tasuki's shoulders. "You mean it, Tasuki?! Oh, thank you!" Before he could react, I had wrapped my arms around him and was hugging him tightly.  
  
Tasuki blinked and I felt him stiffen, then slowly relax as he put his arms around me as well. Then he placed his hands on my shoulders and pushed me back, messing up my hair with his palm. "Ya owe me one after this, got it? Now then! Let's get goin'! We're already bein' left behind."  
  
"Right. Well, come on!" I grabbed Tasuki's hand and started running in the direction where the group went, dragging the laughing fiery haired man behind me.  
  
* * * * * * 


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, what about this one? You think Hotohori will like it?" I held up the piece of jewelry to show Tasuki.  
  
"Uhh...listen, Kit, ya do realize that His Highness probably has everythin' here? He's a rich guy, bein' the emperor and all."  
  
After a brief walk, the group had finally arrived at the town Chichiri had mentioned. It was a busy place, people hurrying around, going about their business. I felt quite out of place in this ancient Chinese setting, but I was probably the only one of my friends to notice the stares we received. The others were too busy hanging over the men we were with to pay attention to anything else. Everyone had gone their own ways, Mu and Laura with Chichiri, Megan was with Miaka and Tamahome, Li wouldn't let go of Nuriko's arm, and I went with Tasuki. Chiriko and Mitsukake went their own ways, probably glad to be away from us.  
  
"Well, then, smart-ass, what do I get him?!" I growled, putting the silver necklace back.   
  
"Hey, now! I'm bein' nice 'ere and helpin' ya out! Don't get snappy at me!" Tasuki growled back and I sighed heavily.  
  
"I know. I'm sorry. It's just, I want to show Hotohori how much I care about him..."  
  
The red head gave me a fanged grin, setting a hand on my shoulder. "Well, I ain't one to really be askin' 'bout love and all that shit. I dun like girls."  
  
I blinked, looking up at him. "So...you're gay?"  
  
"Gah!!" Falling backwards, Tasuki tripped over a food stand, sending the whole thing crashing to the ground on top of him. Jumping to his feet quickly, sending all sorts of food flying around him, he got right up in my face, yelling at the top of his lungs. "NO, I'M NOT GAY!!"  
  
I couldn't help myself as I began to laugh. He looked as though he was about to kill me, and here I was, laughing. The people around us stared with wide eyes, while the owner of the food stand stood frozen in shock.  
  
"What's so damn funny, eh?!!"   
  
"Just...heh...your expression. You look so funny!" I grinned, struggling to hold back my laughter. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself."  
  
Strangely, Tasuki's expression lightened and he stepped away, brushing himself off, grinning lightly. "Yeah...guess yer right. It was pretty funny."  
  
I smiled and pointed behind him. "Although, I don't think the owner of that stand it too amused."  
  
"Wha??" Turning, Tasuki found a rather large piece of fruit shoved into his face as the owner began screaming at him. An argument broke out as Tasuki began shouting back at the angered owner, only making the man even more pissed off.  
  
Smiling to myself, I leaned back against a nearby wall, watching the fight. I had to admit, Tasuki and I were a lot alike. And he was being nice, to help me like this. I'd have to pay him back somehow...  
  
I shivered as I felt a cold wind against my back, glancing around. It was getting rather cloudy. A storm was approaching fast. But...I felt something strange about this storm, about the clouds. What was going on?  
  
Suddenly, I heard Tasuki's voice fade, even as the man continued to yell. Turning towards him, I saw his red eyes searching the storm clouds. "This ain't good...somethin's up..."  
  
"Tasuki, what's wrong?" Before I knew what was happening, from above me lightning crashed down, coming straight towards my body. I froze, shutting my eyes tightly, getting ready for the pain.  
  
A force shoved me. Hard. And sent me flying into a nearby building. My eyes shot open as I hit the building and widened as the lightning that had been meant for me struck someone else. Struck the person who had saved me. Struck Tasuki.  
  
"TASUKI!!"  
  
His scream echoed in my mind, even as the lightning bolt disappeared, leaving the fiery haired man laying on the ground, motionless. 


	6. Chapter 6

My body seemed to take forever to move...yet I finally managed to stumble awkwardly to my feet and rush towards the fallen warrior, falling to my knees beside him. My hands trembled unnaturally as I shook Tasuki.   
  
"Oh...kami...no...Tasuki! Please...get up..."   
  
I could feel tears slip from my blue eyes as I received no response from the fiery-haired man before me. I was completely oblivious to the chaos around me. I paid no attention to the screaming people as they ran, panicked, from the scene. I took no notice of the distant appearance of my friends and the other Suzaku warriors. Time for me stopped as anger overcame my heart.  
  
Slowly, so very slowly, I climbed to my feet, suddenly feeling incredibly heavy, as though gravity wanted me never to regain my footing. Yet, somehow, I found myself standing, staring up towards the sky, where a mocking laughter was echoing.  
  
"Heh heh heh! Looks like I hit the wrong target." My eyes shifted to where the voice came from, spotting a form on a high building. The form of a woman. I growled, standing over the motionless Tasuki, not knowing where my courage came from. Not understanding how I remained standing, though my legs shook violently. Knowing nothing but immense anger.  
  
"Who the hell are you?" I was amazed at the sound of my own voice. It sounded so powerful, so demanding, so strong. But I was most amazed at the fact that I could still speak.  
  
The woman smirked down at me as lightning crackled around her. "I am Soi, of the Seiyru Seven. And you must be Caitlin. Come with me."  
  
My eyes widened slightly as she mentioned my name. How the hell did she know such a thing?! And what did she want with me? I could feel myself begin to tremble even more, yet I remained standing, refusing to allow this arrogant woman to frighten me...or at least allow her to know that I was scared as shit.  
  
"W...Why?! What do you want from me?!"  
  
The woman cackled again, shaking her head lightly. "I want the shinzaho, of course."  
  
"The what?"  
  
Soi scowled, her eyes narrowing as she gazed steadily at me, searching for something. I was sure my confusion was obvious, not knowing what the hell she was talking about. "The shinzaho. Nakago has told me it is contained within your body. Your choices are limited. Come with me willingly, or end up like your friend Tasuki there." As she spoke, she motioned towards the unmoving form of Tasuki, grinning wickedly.  
  
My eyes followed Soi's hand, gazing down at Tasuki, feeling my fear slowly trickled away. I had no idea what this woman was saying. But I was not going to go with her. Not after what she did to Tasuki.   
  
"Very well then," Soi's voice rang out, pulling me from my thoughts, as the sky got darker. I knew what was going to happen. I had seen it before. I braced myself for the pain. In a swift moment, from the skies above came a streak of blazing hot lightning, coming straight down towards me. My eyes squeezed tightly shut as I waited.  
  
Yet, again, the pain never came. My eyes slowly opened, expecting a trick, or perhaps another savior. Instead, I found myself surrounded by a strange, rose-colored glow. Blinking, I looked up towards Soi, who seemed quite angered as she again and again tried to strike me with lightning. Yet, every time, the bolts were stopped by the red glow surrounding me. I was dazed, confused, and feeling weaker by the moment. But, there was no pain.  
  
Suddenly, I heard voices around me. Threatening the woman who called herself Soi. Simply stating that she was outnumbered. That she could never win. And suddenly, she was gone, the skies clear once again. The glow around me had begun to fade as I stumbled, falling to my knees. Weakly, I glanced up to the face of Chichiri as he placed a hand on my shoulder. He spoke soft words, confused words, but I could not understand. I couldn't hear his concern.  
  
I struggled to find my voice, trying to speak. "Tasuki...help...Tasuki...he's...hurt..." I wasn't sure if I actually spoke the words, or merely thought them, but I could no longer hold out. Weakness overcame me and I was, as I had been before, surrounded in darkness.  
  
  
((Right. Well, sorry for the delay. I haven't been inspired to write. Partly because I'm recieving so little feedback. Come on, people! Review! If I don't get at least 10 more reviews, I'm just not gonna write any more. ::shrugs:: So, if you want more, tell me. I need reviews. It helps me be inspired!)) 


	7. Chapter 7

"What has happened here?!" I could scarcely hear Hotohori's alarmed voice as I slowly regained consciousness. I felt myself being carried by someone, but once again, the strength to open my eyes failed me.  
  
"It was one of the Seiyru Seven, no da. She attacked Caitlin, claiming she had the shentso-pao within her body..."  
  
"Mitsukake managed ta heal me, but fer some reason he couldn't 'elp her, yer Highness." I was overjoyed to hear Tasuki's voice, relieved to know that he was alright.   
  
I felt myself being laid down on a soft bed and pain shot through my body, causing me to cringe. I heard someone sit next to me and after a moment I could feel a cool hand on my forehead. My Angel?! Could it be him? My eyes struggled to open as hope surged through my heart.  
  
As my sapphire eyes opened and my vision cleared, I found myself gazing up at Tasuki, not my Angel. Hotohori and Chichiri were standing by the door, talking softly, and my friends were no where to be seen.   
  
"Good ta see yer awake, Kit," Tasuki grinned down at me, brushing back some of my hair; I felt my heart skip a beat. "How ya feelin'?"  
  
I gave a slow smile and struggled to find my voice. "I'm alright, I guess. My body hurts...how about yourself? Tasuki...you...you save my li--"  
  
Tasuki gently put his hand over my mouth before I could finish my sentence, smiling down at me. "Ssshh. Look...here comes His Highness...I'll leave ya two alone." Before I could protest, the fiery haired had man stood up, grinning widely at Hotohori before he and Chichiri left the room.  
  
I struggled to sit up as Hotohori sat down next to me, but his hand gently set on my shoulder, pushing me back down.  
  
"You need to rest. Don't try and sit up." I nodded numbly and did as I was told, laying back against the soft pillows, gazing up at him, gazing into his beautiful golden brown eyes.  
  
"How do you feel, Lady Caitlin?" His eyes gazed deep into mine and I felt myself shiver. My Angel...he sounded so concerned. About me! Me!! My heart pounded faster as I struggled to answer.  
  
"Y...Yeah, I'm fine...I just ache. Hotohori...I...I mean, Emperor--"  
  
"Please, call me Hotohori."   
  
I nodded a bit and continued. "Hotohori? Do you know what happened? I mean...why didn't Soi's attack hurt me? And what's a shentso-pao?"  
  
Hotohori smiled softly, brushing my hair from my face. "Yes...this must all be very confusing to you, Lady Caitlin--"  
  
"Please, call me Caitlin. Or Kitty. Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt!" I could feel my face heating up as I looked away.  
  
Hotohori chuckled softly and moved his hand beneath my chin, lifting my face so he could look into my eyes. "Caitlin. We are not quite sure why Soi of the Seiyru Seven claimed that you have shentso-pao within you. But, according to the others, when she attacked you, you were surrounded by a red glow which saved you. That particular red glow has protected Miaka many times before. It is the glow of Suzaku. And if you do not have this shentso-pao within you, I do not know what Soi would try and capture you."  
  
"Well...what exactly is a shentso-pao? And who is Suzaku?"  
  
Hotohori sighed, brushing back some of his gorgeous hair, his expression growing worried. "Suzaku in the guardian beast of Konan. About the shentso-pao...we are not sure. Tai Yi-Jun only told us that in order to be able to summon Suzaku, in order to save my kingdom, we must gather the shentso-pao first." He smiled softly down at me. "And you carry one of the shentso-pao within your body." Slowly, the Emperor reached forward, taking my hand in his. "Will you help us?"  
  
My eyes widened as I absorbed his words. My heart began to beat faster and faster as I felt his hands take mine. Help them? Help them with what? Maybe I did have this shentso-pao-thingy in my body, but what was all this about summoning Suzaku?! How could I possibly help with summoning some sort of guardian beast? My eyes lifted, meeting his gaze, and I suddenly found myself being willing to do anything. Anything for Hotohori. Anything for my Angel. Slowly, I nodded, offering a slight smile. "Yes, Hotohori. I will help you."  
  
My heart melted at the smile the Emperor gave me. Warmth and gratefulness spread quickly across his features as he squeezed my hands tightly. "Thank you, Caitlin. My country means everything to me. With your help, I will be able to save Konan." 


End file.
